UFC Doctor’s $70,000 Watch Steals Show

The Daniil Donchenko vs Rodrigo Sezinando bout was supposed to be remembered for grit, blood, and a brutal cut that forced the cageside doctor into action. Instead, fans watching closely couldn’t take their eyes off something entirely different, the watch on the doctor’s wrist.

While most of the commentary centred on Sezinando’s nasty cut, sharp-eyed viewers spotted the doctor casually sporting an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak inside the Octagon.

Not just any version either, but what appears to be the Royal Oak Chronograph Ref. 26240ST with the signature blue “Grande Tapisserie” dial a piece that retails north of $70,000, assuming you can even get one at retail.

The Royal Oak, of course, is one of the most coveted luxury sports watches in the world. Designed by Gérald Genta in 1972, it has transcended its tool-watch origins to become a status symbol on the wrists of celebrities, athletes, and collectors alike.

But seeing it strapped to a UFC doctor, drenched in fluorescent lighting and the chaos of fight night, felt like an unexpected crossover moment between haute horlogerie and mixed martial arts.

The internet did what it does best. “Are UFC doctors getting paid more than the fighters?” one fan quipped, echoing the fact that undercard fighters often earn a fraction of the watch’s sticker price.

Others joked that the Royal Oak was getting more screen time than Sezinando’s injury, with the watch’s angular steel case glinting through the camera angles.

Beyond the humour, the moment highlights just how recognisable the Royal Oak has become. Even amid the blood, sweat, and adrenaline of the UFC cage, a luxury steel chronograph managed to steal the spotlight. It’s a reminder that watches, in the right moment, can be as much a part of the spectacle as the fight itself.

So while Sezinando’s cut will heal, the image of a $70,000 Royal Oak casually being worn by a doctor inside the Octagon is destined to live on as one of those internet-shared, “only in 2025” moments.